Over 34,000 Eskom customers tampered with electricity meters last year

[Jan]

Forget illegal connections — Over 34,000 of Eskom's own customers stole electricity

While South Africans are often quick to blame people who illegally connect to Eskom's grid for stealing electricity and damaging infrastructure, the utility's own customers are doing the same.

In the 2020/2021 financial year, Eskom identified 34,492 incidents in which its electricity meters were tampered with.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

Well, if it is condoned, that 3/4 of the population steal, electricity, why not.

What's good for the Goose, is equally good for the Gander.

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

Forget illegal connections — Over 34,000 of Eskom's own customers stole electricity

While South Africans are often quick to blame people who illegally connect to Eskom's grid for stealing electricity and damaging infrastructure, the utility's own customers are doing the same.

In the 2020/2021 financial year, Eskom identified 34,492 incidents in which its electricity meters were tampered with.

34 000 "identified"......so probably 10% of those that actually do it.

Ib4 "but in Sandton"....

 

[Herr der Verboten]

Forget illegal connections — Over 34,000 of Eskom's own customers stole electricity

While South Africans are often quick to blame people who illegally connect to Eskom's grid for stealing electricity and damaging infrastructure, the utility's own customers are doing the same.

In the 2020/2021 financial year, Eskom identified 34,492 incidents in which its electricity meters were tampered with.

R90 uncapped electricity ftw?

 

[Rickster]

Question, If one bypasses a prepaid meter, how will eskom know?

 

[r00igev@@r]

All the boxes are broken and are not lockable. Non have any monitoring or surveillance.

The distribution network remains as primitive as ever as in most areas has gone backwards in quality.

 

[TheChamp]

Question, If one bypasses a prepaid meter, how will eskom know?

Besides the occasional audit where they go house to house? They look at your buying patterns. That is what happens with me when I try to report a fault for my parents, they ask you when last you bought electricity, I couldn't answer since I don't stay there so they put me on hold and did a quick check.

 

[RudderVator]

Besides the occasional audit where they go house to house? They look at your buying patterns. That is what happens with me when I try to report a fault for my parents, they ask you when lady you bought electricity, I couldn't answer since I don't stay there so teyput me on hold and did a quick check.

Indeed normally buying patterns.

Also get something called ghost vendors with the software needed to make a token that your meter would accept. No tampering needed.
But Eskom would register no purchases for the meter number.

It becomes a little harder in a complex/building with a pvt meter company to steal even if you bypass your meter or use ghost vendor because there would be a master meter at the entrance of your building/complex and they would notice a loss much quicker pretty much impossible to detect such losses city wide.

 

[Napalm2880]

Also get something called ghost vendors with the software needed to make a token that your meter would accept. No tampering needed.

Yup, they've leaked their private key used to generate electricity tokens. Idiots at SASSA did the same thing.

 

[ToxicBunny]

So yeah, there is a fair chunk of data that should enable Eskom (and the municipalities) to identify areas with meter tampering, and even illegal connections.

One would hope that they have power usage monitoring to a certain level within their network and be able to see where areas are over drawing, or where they are not seeing sufficient sales to cover the draw that is happening in the area.

 

[RudderVator]

Yup, they've leaked their private key used to generate electricity tokens. Idiots at SASSA did the same thing.

So clever from what I heard apparently the software package was leaked.Called STS or something.

This is exactly why we need to move to smart meters that can report tampering back and can be updated. Current dummy meters are offline the decode algorithm is fixed for life. Cannot even change tarrifs based on time of day usage.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

only Chumps pay for electricity, most just steal it from the 1st guy.

this is the way

 

[V@ttieK@kkie]

The city of cape town is in the process of upgrading the software on all the smart meters. not sure what changes it will bring.

 

[Enzo Matrix]

only Chumps pay for electricity, most just steal it from the 1st guy.

this is the way

This is the way

 

[_TrXtR_]

So it's our culture to steal. We even have national events to celebrate stealing. I dont see this as a problem, rather eskom should assist for safety.

 

[GhostSixFour]

How big is the fine?

 

[Kawak]

Eskom should install a separate power cutoff device at paying customers premises, time and again, switch off these customers and then send a pulse that will destroy electrical equipment, get that over with, turn power back on. All this in less than 10 seconds. Problem solved.

 

[LCBXX]

Look! 34,000 Eskom customers have been found stealing electricity in 2021! This is the reason there is loadshedding!

Eskom unhappy with private solar installations as revenue evaporates - TechCentral

Eskom hopes its proposed retail tariffs for 2021 will help solve a looming problem triggered by increased solar generation across the country.

techcentral.co.za

Medupi explosion: 'Extensive damage' caused, Eskom staff suspended | Business

A team was trying to find an external leak.

www.news24.com

Eskom posts net loss of R18.9 billion, but slashes debt | Business

The power utility managed to reduce its gross debt by over R80 billion, aided by government equity and rand strength.

www.news24.com

 

[system32]

Look! 34,000 Eskom customers have been found stealing electricity in 2021! This is the reason there is loadshedding!

Eskom unhappy with private solar installations as revenue evaporates - TechCentral

Eskom hopes its proposed retail tariffs for 2021 will help solve a looming problem triggered by increased solar generation across the country.

techcentral.co.za

Medupi explosion: 'Extensive damage' caused, Eskom staff suspended | Business

A team was trying to find an external leak.

www.news24.com

Eskom posts net loss of R18.9 billion, but slashes debt | Business

The power utility managed to reduce its gross debt by over R80 billion, aided by government equity and rand strength.

www.news24.com

This is City Power - Only 4% Of Alex.

Only 4% of Alex residents paying for electricity - City Power

The utility said it was taking action to address overloading on the network and to recover lost revenue caused by illegal connections.

ewn.co.za

Does anyone have statistics for Eskom township areas?

 

[TheChamp]

This is City Power - Only 4% Of Alex.

Only 4% of Alex residents paying for electricity - City Power

The utility said it was taking action to address overloading on the network and to recover lost revenue caused by illegal connections.

ewn.co.za

Does anyone have statistics for Eskom township areas?

I doubt such stats exists, it would smell funny to just have stats for townships, it will most probably be stats per Eskom regions which could include both township and other settlements within that region, from that data you could probably find the township stats with some more digging or unless Eskom decide to filter it down to a particular area.